Torrent
by Deana
Summary: A catastrophic situation in Mirkwood attempts to claim the lives of Legolas, Thranduil, and Elrond.
1. Tired Widdle Elfy

**Torrent  
**A Lord of the Rings story by Deana Lisi  
Disclaimer: I don't own Legolas, Thranduil, Elrond, or the twins, but I do own Heredil.

Hi everyone! Here is chapter 1 of my much-anticipated story! ;) Enjoy!

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Legolas shuffled wearily into his bedchamber, soaked to the skin. He'd been outside since before dawn of the previous day, helping to dam several rivers that were overflowing in the abnormally-wet autumn. Winter was not far away, so it was a very cold rain. Legolas shivered, normally not bothered by nature's chill, but being drenched non-stop for the past two days in the windswept rain was enough to make even an elf feel cold, especially this time of year.

Closing the door behind himself, he tiredly leaned against it, eyeing his soft, warm bed. If he hadn't been so wet, he would've thrown himself onto it without hesitation. The sound of heavy rain caught his attention and he looked towards the balcony, knowing that hundreds of elves were still out there, desperately trying to control the flooding.

Legolas sighed, glad to finally be inside, but at the same time, wishing that he were still out there. The past two days were a blur to his tired mind, and he wasn't surprised at all when his father had gone to fetch him after finding out that his son had been working non-stop for nearly forty hours.

Legolas smiled slightly as he remembered being startled when someone had suddenly grabbed his shoulders and turned him around.

"Legolas!" Thranduil had exclaimed. "You have been out here _more_ than long enough! Inside with you—take some rest!"

Legolas had said nothing, simply staring at him, unsure whether to be irked at his father's words, or to laugh at the uncommon sight of the soaked King.

"Heredil!" Thranduil called, noticing that his Captain was working beside Legolas. "Take my son inside!"

Legolas nearly protested that he was fully capable of going himself, but he figured he'd give Heredil the opportunity to get out of the wild weather too, if only for a few minutes.

Thranduil seemed to realize something. "How long have _you_ been out here?" Before Heredil even had a chance to speak, the King shook his head. "Inside, _both_ of you! You are not to come back out here tonight."

_That_, Legolas protested. "Ada—"

"No!" said Thranduil. "You are too tired. Go." With that, he pushed them towards the palace as if they were naughty elflings.

Having no choice, Legolas and Heredil both headed towards home.

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Legolas jumped, startled when someone knocked on the door that he was still leaning against. He realized that he'd nearly fallen asleep where he stood, and he opened the door, surprised at who he found there.

The twin sons of Elrond smiled at their friend, who seemed too shocked to speak.

"Well met, Legolas!" they both exclaimed, in unison.

Legolas blinked lethargically, wondering if he was dreaming.

Elrohir stepped forward and hugged him, chuckling at the Prince's expression, while Elladan critically studied him.

"You look exhausted, Legolas!" said the older twin, hugging him after Elrohir finally let go.

"Aye," Legolas said, finally finding his voice as he happily returned their embraces.

Elladan pulled back and held the younger elf at arms-length. "Your father did not exaggerate; you _do_ look like a drowned rat, tithen pen!"

Legolas wasn't surprised at Elladan's words. His father had obviously known of the twins' arrival, and sent them to 'care' for him. He rolled his eyes. "I am too old to be called that!"

Elladan smiled. Legolas was very young, only about twenty in the eyes of a human.

"How long have you been outside?" Elrohir asked.

"Since pre-dawn," Legolas answered.

"Ah," said Elladan.

"…yesterday."

"Ai!" said Elrohir. "With no rest?"

Legolas said nothing.

"Food?" said Elladan.

Legolas remained quiet, looking sheepish.

"Ever the elf to push himself to the limit!" said Elladan, taking his friend's arm and walking him towards the adjoining room, both elves leaving a water trail as they walked.

Legolas let the older elf lead him, too tired to protest. He was quite used to the twin's overprotective behavior, though it had begun to annoy him as he got older. He remembered having asked them years ago why they so often treated him as if he were fragile, and was quite surprised to find out that he had been born much too early and was not quite healthy in his first few years, having left the womb before his elven healing ability had fully formed.

In the bathing chamber, they found a hot bath already drawn, obviously commanded by Thranduil before he'd gone in search of his son.

"Do not fall asleep in there," Elladan joked.

Legolas smiled. "I shall _try_ not to."

Elladan smiled back and left, taking two large towels to wipe up the water that lay all over the bedchamber floor.

Legolas quickly stripped and got into the tub, sighing with bliss at the feel of the hot water. He wished that he could lie there forever, and despite his promise, he quickly dozed off. He was only asleep for a few minutes though before the loud rumble of thunder woke him. The rain seemed to grow even heavier, and Legolas sighed, wondering how bad the flooding would ultimately get before the rain finally stopped.

Legolas quickly washed his body and hair, feeling the chill starting to leave his bones. Despite the cold temperature and biting wind, he hadn't worn a coat, for it proved to be too cumbersome for such work, especially when waterlogged.

A sudden knock sounded. "Legolas?" said Elrohir.

"Come in."

The younger twin entered, carrying a bundle. "Here are some clothes."

"Thank you," Legolas said, with a smile.

"Will you be out soon? Elladan went to get some food."

The Prince nodded. "Aye, in a minute."

Elrohir nodded and left.

Legolas rose from the tub and dried off, donning the garments that Elrohir had brought, not surprised that they were nightclothes.

Re-entering his bedchamber, Legolas found the twins gone, but the fireplace lit, and he sat on the rug before it, letting the flames disperse the rest of the cold within his body.

Thunder continued to rumble, reminding Legolas of the elves still outside in the violent weather. He sighed, staring at the flames almost hypnotically, until he started to doze-off again.

The twins returned a few minutes later, wearing dry clothes and carrying food. They smiled at the sight of their friend asleep on the floor, leaning against the soft armchair.

"Legolas?" Elladan softly called, squeezing the Prince's arm.

The blond-haired elf blinked half-closed eyes, looking up.

"Food before sleep!" said the older twin, pulling Legolas to his feet.

Legolas felt groggy now, the two brief-tastes at slumber refusing to leave his brain. He barely noticed as the twins practically put him in the bed.

"Stay awake, Legolas," he heard. "Just a few minutes more! Drink this."

A cup appeared before his face, and Legolas tried to blink the sleep away as he took it. He sighed happily at the taste of hot broth; the twins had obviously known how cold he'd been. He drank the whole cup down, relieved when it revived him enough to eat. "How did you two suddenly appear here?" he asked, eagerly accepting the bowl of meat and potatoes.

"We rode horses," said Elrohir, matter-of-factly.

Legolas and Elladan both smiled as they ate.

"It was meant as a surprise," said Elladan. "Ada is here too."

"He is?" said Legolas, happy to hear that.

Elladan nodded. "It seems that we came at a good time; your kingdom looks like it could use our help."

"In more ways than one," Elrohir quipped.

Legolas gave him a mock-indignant look, and Elladan chuckled.

"Aye," Legolas eventually said. "We have never had such a prolonged period of such heavy rain before."

"How long has it been raining?" Elladan asked.

Legolas thought for a minute. "Nearly a week. For the past three days, it has not stopped at all."

Thunder rumbled again as they spoke, though the rain seemed a little lighter now.

"And it is nearly cold enough to snow," said Elrohir. "I hope that you do not have a hard winter too."

Legolas nodded, yawning.

"Sleep," Elladan said, taking the empty dishes off the bed.

Legolas yawned again nearly as soon as the first one ended, and he shifted to lie flat.

"Sweet dreams, elfling," Elladan joked, reaching over and grabbing Legolas' still-damp hair, pulling it out from under his head and laying it on the pillow away from his skin.

"Hannon le, mellyn-nin," the Prince replied, sleepily.

As he drifted off to sleep, Legolas had no idea of the tragic events that would occur the next day…

TBC

'mellyn-nin' : 'my friends, plural'

Don't kill me for the cliffie! If you do, you won't get to see what happens! lol (runs)


	2. Being Near Legolas is Dangerous

Hey everyone! Here's chapter 2! Enjoy! ;)

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The rain continued to fall just as heavily as it had the day before. Legolas and the twins were outside by dawn, surprised to find that their fathers were already out there. Legolas and Elrond had an amusingly wet reunion, before spending the entire day working.

By late afternoon, the rain began to slow, and to everyone's surprise, it stopped. The elves of Mirkwood were immensely relieved, but afraid to believe that the storm was actually over. They worked all the harder, using logs and stone slabs to prevent the floods from spreading further.

Legolas worked tirelessly; the opposite of how he felt. He was still sleepy, but fought to ignore it, knowing that he wasn't the only elf who was tired. The elves' exhaustion started to show in accidents that weren't common for elves; pieces of stone were accidentally dropped on someone's foot, others slipped in mud, and tempers flared.

The river that they were currently blocking had overflown its banks, and churned angrily; the ground was so saturated that water continued to fill the river, despite the fact that the rain had stopped.

Legolas, working beside the twins and their fathers, paid no attention as a group of elves passed them carrying a huge log. One of the elves slipped, losing his grip. The others didn't expect the sudden shift in weight, and they all went down, dropping the log.

"Look out!"

Legolas looked up, just in time to see the log roll into his path. There was no time to move, and he suddenly found himself falling into the angry river.

Elrond gasped when something hit his right leg and pushed him into Thranduil, knocking them both into the mud. They sat up, expecting to hear their sons' laughter, but instead, they found all three of the younger elves missing.

"They're in the river!" several elves shouted.

The two elf-lords scrambled to their feet and looked at the churning water, watching as three heads bobbed, already quite a distance away.

Every elf abandoned their job and ran along the bank, scrambling to save them.

Legolas coughed on the liquid that he'd inhaled, fighting to stay above the water.

"Legolas!" he heard.

Turning his head, he saw one of the twins about eight feet away, reaching out for him.

Legolas tried to grab his hand, trying to swim against the current. His leg hit something and his head went under the water, but suddenly, two pairs of hands grabbed him and pulled him up.

The twins held onto their friend and each other, eyeing a large rock in the middle of the river.

Legolas wondered where the other twin had come from, but he was too busy holding onto them to give it much thought.

The rock finally came within reach, and Elladan held onto his brother's hand tightly, stretching their arms out so that he could literally wrap himself around it. He grabbed the rock, letting the water's motion swing him around it, avoiding injury to himself so that he wouldn't accidentally let go of his brother.

Legolas, on the furthest end, swung around the most, to the other side of the rock. He saw Elladan's hand and grabbed it, so that all three of them surrounded the rock.

Elladan let out a sigh of relief, looking at his brother and friend to see if they were all right.

"Legolas!" they suddenly heard.

Looking towards the shore, they saw what looked like half of Mirkwood's population running towards them, with Thranduil in the lead.

They watched as Heredil tied a rope around his waist, and a group of elves held the other end as the Mirkwood Captain waded into the river about ten feet behind them. The water's violent motion propelled him towards the younger elves, and Elrohir let go of Elladan to grab him.

"You first!" said Heredil.

Elrohir grabbed the rope and Heredil grabbed the rock. The younger twin made his way towards shore using the rope, and he was quickly helped to safety.

Heredil was closer to Elladan than Legolas, so he went next. When Elladan was safely on shore, Heredil called to the elves, "Pull us back!" He reached for Legolas' arm, but they yanked him away from the rock before he had a good grip on him.

Legolas let go of the rock when Heredil took his arm, but he hadn't expected the other elf to suddenly be pulled away. He gasped as he was swept away from Heredil.

"Let go!" Heredil shouted to the elves holding the rope. He doubted that they would obey him, but he lunged forward and grabbed for Legolas. He got pulled under the water and grabbed the Prince's leg, unintentionally yanking Legolas under.

The elves didn't let go of the rope, but when Heredil jumped forward, his motion pulled at it and made some of the elves drop it. Others were pulled forward, but managed to hold on.

Heredil wrapped his arms around Legolas' waist and pulled him back above the surface. "Pull us in!" he shouted.

Legolas, feeling thoroughly bedraggled, held onto the other elf as they were pulled to shore.

Elrond, Thranduil, and the twins were waiting at the edge, and they reached for the two elves, helping them out of the river.

"Legolas!" Thranduil cried, sounding panicked. He grabbed his son from Heredil, and he and Elrond tried to lay him on the ground.

"What are you doing?" Legolas asked, in between coughs. "I am unhurt!"

They ignored his words, succeeding in sitting him down.

"I am fine!" Legolas exclaimed, again.

Elrond knelt beside him, looking him over and finding no injuries.

"But you went into the river head first!" Elladan exclaimed.

Legolas blushed, imagining the humorous sight. "I am not hurt."

Elrond looked at the King. "It appears that he speaks the truth."

Thranduil was shocked. "You are fine? All three of you?"

Legolas and the twins all nodded.

Elrond smiled, inwardly chuckling at Thranduil's shock. "It was bound to happen one day, mellon-nin, despite our doubt."

"What was?" Elladan asked, reaching a helping hand to Legolas as the Prince began to stand.

"The _one time_ that you all managed to avoid injury after some mishap," Elrond answered.

The three younger elves all rolled their eyes.

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To Mirkwood's delight, the entire evening passed without more rain.

Legolas went to bed early again, too tired to eat supper. Hunger woke him around midnight though, and he donned a robe and headed for the kitchens. When he entered, he was surprised to find his father and Elrond there.

"Legolas!" said Thranduil. "How do you feel?"

"Fine," Legolas answered, with a smile. "Hungry."

The King smiled back, watching as his son searched the kitchen for food. He came back to the table with leftover meat and potatoes from the night before.

"Do you think that the rain has truly ended?" Legolas asked.

Thranduil sighed. "I hope so."

They sat in silence for a while, Legolas eating and the other two elves sipping wine. The Prince noticed Elrond studying him.

"Yes?" he said.

Elrond smiled. "I am simply grateful that the three of you escaped harm today."

Legolas nodded. "I was slightly surprised, myself. According to your sons, if I am there, danger is not far." He chuckled. "Why, the two of you could be risking your lives right now just by sitting here with me!"

"Legolas…" said Thranduil, distressed at talk of his son in jeopardy. He sighed, trying to think of a way to change the subject.

"Did you speak to Elladan tonight?" Elrond asked.

Legolas blinked. "Regarding what?"

"I was told that he jumped into the river after you and Elrohir," the healer said. "I wanted to find out if that is true, but both my sons are asleep."

Legolas' eyebrows shot up. "He _jumped_ in!" He suddenly realized now how the older twin had seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

"Apparently," said Elrond.

Legolas shook his head, with a smile. "I am not surprised. I would've done the same."

The two older elves nodded, knowing that to be true. Legolas loved the twins as if they were his own brothers, and Elladan and Elrohir felt the same towards the Mirkwood Prince.

No one spoke for a while, as the three elves enjoyed the quiet night; finally silent from lack of rainfall.

The stillness was abruptly cut off by a sudden loud noise that sounded like the shifting of rock. The three elves looked at each other with alarm, wondering what it could've been. Before anyone could speak, it happened again…and the whole room moved.

Thranduil jumped up from his chair. "Seek shelter!" he said, assuming that it was a ground-shake.

Elrond and Legolas stood, but it was too late. The entire room seemed to suddenly lurch, and they were taken by surprise when the floor seemingly dropped from under them.

Legolas felt one of the others grab his arm, but it was ripped away as they were all sent tumbling across the collapsing floor. Furniture and objects were thrown about, and the ceiling came crashing down, its impact stealing the consciousness from all three of them…

TBC

Okay, that was probably my worst cliffie ever! (runs)


	3. The Ultimate OW

Hey everyone! Here's a nice long chapter that you'll all love me for! LOL ;)

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The twins were both woken by an incredibly loud crash, and they dove out of their beds, automatically rushing to the other's room.

"What was that!" Elrohir shouted, his heart pounding frantically. "Where did it come from!"

"I do not know!" Elladan exclaimed, likewise shaken. "Come!"

They both ran down the hall towards their father's room, bursting in to find it empty. Surprised, they said nothing as they ran for Legolas' room next, likewise finding no one there.

"Elladan…" said Elrohir, fear gripping his heart.

Wordlessly, the older twin took-off running, with Elrohir following behind. They heard panicked voices, and called out to a chambermaid that they saw ahead of them. "What has happened!"

"The main kitchen and part of the hallway have collapsed!" she exclaimed.

"What!" Elladan exclaimed.

"Yes!" she said, continuing to run, apparently seeking help.

The twins took off again, making their way through crowds of elves to reach the hall, which was blocked by pieces of stone and wood.

"Is anyone inside!" Elrohir exclaimed.

Many elves replied in the affirmative, answering that they'd heard voices cry out.

Heredil suddenly grabbed the twin's shoulders from behind them, moving forward. "I cannot find Thranduil or Legolas!" he said. "Have you seen them?"

"No," said Elladan. "Our father was not in his room either!"

Heredil went pale as they all realized that the three missing elves were obviously caught in the collapse…

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A groan filled the air of what had once been the main kitchen of the Mirkwood Palace. The blond-haired elf who emitted it didn't even realize he'd done so, as he lay unable to move thanks to the pain that gripped his body.

Thranduil's mind spun dizzily as he tried to remember what had happened. He found that his eyes were closed, and he couldn't understand what was causing his pain. Dragging his eyes open, he found himself lying on his stomach. Debris was everywhere, and he realized that there were objects lying atop him. Blinking, he looked around the room, only to find that it was too dark to see. The fireplace and torches had obviously been put out by the fallen debris, and he was extremely thankful that they hadn't caused any fires.

"Legolas!" he shouted, pushing himself upright. Rather, he _tried_ to shout, but it came out as more of a croak. He immediately fell back down again when the pain intensified greatly, and he couldn't hold back a startled cry. His entire left arm screamed at him in agony, and his head throbbed with each beat of his heart. "Legolas…" he called, weakly.

He received no answer, and Thranduil closed his eyes for a second, breathing deeply. He winced when he felt a rib shift, and he carefully maneuvered onto his right side with a groan. He furiously blinked his eyes, trying to see through the blackness. He began to drag himself with his uninjured arm, trying to find his son. His entire body hurt, his left leg worse than the other. There was a long, bleeding gash on it, but he did not think it broken.

His hand suddenly encountered a piece of cloth, and he found that it belonged to someone's arm. He grabbed the hand, before desperately feeling the body's clothes in an attempt to identify him. He found it to be his son, and nervously felt for a pulse, his own heart hammering with fear. It took a few seconds, but he finally felt a weak beat beneath his fingers.

Relief swept through Thranduil so strongly that he nearly passed out again. "Legolas," he said, shakily, as he dragged himself closer.

The younger elf gave no reply, and Thranduil's hand shook even more as he reached out to touch his son's bloodied face. "Legolas! Please wake, ion-nin!"

There was no reaction from the younger elf, and Thranduil laid his spinning head on the ground in dismay. He felt his consciousness slipping, and just before the blackness reclaimed him, he realized something.

Where was Elrond?

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"They could all be dead!" Elrohir exclaimed, panicked. "We need to get in there _now!_"

Elladan wrapped a comforting arm around him, though he was just as terrified as his twin.

Heredil looked at the rubble that remained of the doorway and shook his head with dismay, turning and shouting out commands.

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A groan caught Thranduil's attention, and he groggily opened his eyes, not remembering what had happened. He lay there for a moment, trying to make sense of his surroundings. A louder groan followed, and the terrible events came back to the King. He lifted his head, realizing that he'd passed out again. "Legolas!" he exclaimed.

The younger elf's eyes were squeezed shut tightly, his body shaking from pain.

"Legolas!" Thranduil said, pushing himself to sit up. He succeeded, and laid a hand on his son's shoulder, realizing that hours had apparently passed since the collapse; for light now filled the room.

The Prince gave a cry of pain from the contact, and Thranduil quickly let go, nearly losing his balance and falling over. He looked over his son's body, and his heart nearly stopped at what he found; Legolas' legs were hidden beneath a huge stone slab.

Legolas groaned again, breathing heavily. The sight brought tears to his father's eyes.

"Open your eyes, ion-nin, speak to me!" Thranduil exclaimed. "Tell me your injuries!"

Legolas managed to open his eyes, but they were full of pain, and he looked very dazed.

"Legolas? Can you feel your legs?" the King asked, worriedly.

His son nodded with a grimace, closing his eyes again and biting back another groan.

Thranduil sighed with relief, forgetting the effect that would have on his rib. Pain shot through his chest and he swayed, reaching out his good arm to catch himself.

"A-a-ada?" Legolas finally spoke, alarmed. His voice shook.

"I am fine, my son," Thranduil lied, smiling in an attempt to calm him as he fought to hide his pain.

"Where…Elrond?" Legolas suddenly asked.

A stab of fear filled the King's stomach, and he suddenly remembered that he'd passed out before he'd had a chance to look for him. "Elrond!" he called. "Elrond!"

Legolas winced as the shout hurt his aching head, and he glanced around feebly.

Thranduil managed to stand, stumbling dizzily through the rubble. He caught sight of his friend's deep burgundy robes, and knelt unsteadily. "Elrond!" he said, again, brushing debris off the Lord of Imladris.

Elrond lay on his stomach, facing Thranduil; his dark hair was covered with blood.

Thranduil checked him for a pulse. "He lives!" he said, knowing that Legolas was watching. Picking up the end of his robe, he held it to the back of his friend's head, hoping to stop the bleeding. "Elrond, mellon-nin? Please wake!"

Elrond remained still.

Swallowing thickly, Thranduil closed his eyes for a moment, trying to calm his nerves. Looking back towards Legolas, he could tell that his son was in a great deal of pain. "Where are you hurt?" he asked.

Legolas hated to admit to injuries, especially to his father. He would be a fool to hide anything in this particular situation though, so he bit back his pride. "I…I think my…left hip…is broken."

Thranduil openly winced, imagining the pain from such an injury. "What is wrong with your shoulder?"

Legolas opened his mouth to answer, giving a gasp as the pain in his hip suddenly increased. "Co-collarbone. Broken."

Thranduil sighed, catching himself in the middle of it. He turned his head away from his son and closed his eyes tightly, noticing that the pain in his own body was growing worse.

"My left knee," Legolas continued. "Might be broken. Not sure." He stopped to take a breath, biting back a groan.

Thranduil looked down at Elrond, removing the cloth to check the status of the bleeding. He could see the wound, a two-inch gash on the back of his head. The bleeding had slowed, but from the amount that covered the elf, Thranduil was afraid that he'd already lost too much of it.

Looking back towards his son, he saw that Legolas' eyes were closed and his body still shook. "Legolas?" he called, worriedly.

The younger elf moved his head to show that he was still conscious, but his pain was so intense that he was unable to speak anymore.

Thranduil looked back down at Elrond, wishing that his friend had not fallen so far from his son. Unable to move his left arm, he removed his hand from Elrond's head and checked the Noldo elf for other injuries.

He found that his friend's right lower leg was broken, and that there was a deep gash on his right forearm which he hadn't noticed yet thanks to the amount of blood from his head. He found that Elrond's left wrist was broken also, and after finding that the bones in his neck and back seemed fine, he carefully rolled him over.

Spots danced before Thranduil's eyes from the pain that resulted from the effort. His broken rib grated painfully, and the pain from his left shoulder kept spreading into his chest. He had to pause for a minute, before he was able to check Elrond's ribs. Feeling them gently, he found that his friend had miraculously not broken any, though there was no doubt that they were bruised, for the skin above them was very tender.

"Elrond?" he said, gently tapping his friend's face.

The other elf gave no reply, deeply unconscious.

Looking back to Legolas, Thranduil stood and took the front of Elrond's robe, slowly dragging him closer. His broken rib screamed at him, and he fell to his knees beside his son, gasping. A hand taking his made him reopen eyes that he hadn't realized he'd closed.

Legolas looked at him, worriedly. "_Your_ injuries?" he said.

Thranduil smiled at him. "I am not badly hurt, ion-nin."

Legolas made a face at him.

Thranduil smiled again, reaching over to check his son's ribs. "My left arm and shoulder are broken, and a rib. That is all."

Legolas doubted that, since there was blood in his father's hair and on his left leg, but before he had a chance to say anything, pain shot through his midsection and he gave a cry of pain.

Thranduil removed his hand, frowning. He hadn't felt any broken bones. "Where is the pain?"

Legolas' eyes were closed tightly.

"Legolas?" the King said.

In answer, Legolas dragged his right arm to his side, sliding his fingers under his back.

A chill went down Thranduil's spine at the sight. Moving his son's hand, he gently felt for himself and found a small piece of wood under his son. He cursed his arm for being broken as he tried to figure out how to remove it. "If I lift you up, can you pull it out?"

Legolas nodded, eyes still closed.

Thranduil slid his arm under his son and gently lifted him a few inches.

Legolas gave a pained cry as the motion sent agony through his collarbone and hip. He somehow managed to grab the piece of wood, and pulled it out from under himself.

Thranduil laid him down with his own leg under his son's neck so he could slide a hand under his back to feel for damage. The piece of wood was small, thankfully, but one of Legolas' ribs in his back had apparently been cracked by landing on it. "It is a rib," he said, relieved that it was nothing worse.

Legolas said nothing, his eyes closed tight with pain.

Thranduil patted his son's arm, studying a gash near his temple that was crusted over with dried blood. "Is your vision blurred?"

Legolas reopened his eyes. "A little."

Thranduil looked to the stone slab that blocked view of his son's legs. "Legolas…" he said, not sure how to ask.

Legolas followed his father's gaze. "My…right leg…is fine," he said.

Thranduil's eyebrows shot up. "Fine? How _can_ it be?"

As if to show proof, Legolas moved his right leg and they heard it shift. "The stone is…leaning...on something."

Thranduil couldn't believe his son's luck. It the slab hadn't caught, it would've likely crushed both of his legs.

"It sits on my left hip," said the younger elf.

"But your knee, you said—"

Legolas shook his head slightly. "I do not know how…that injury…was obtained."

Thranduil studied the stone slab, wishing that he could remove it and free his son.

Legolas suddenly gave a shaky sigh, and the King realized that he'd been trying to mask his terrible pain. He laid a hand on his son's forehead in comfort, gently stroking the pale skin. Legolas' head still rested on his thigh, and Thranduil left it there. With a careful sigh, he looked at Elrond again, wishing that he would wake.

TBC


	4. Elrond in Trouble

Elladan and Elrohir tried calling out to their friends and father, but received no replies. They were unsure if their voices simply weren't penetrating the rubble…or if they were all dead.

Mirkwood's warriors worked on moving the rubble, aware that it would likely be hours before they even reached what used to be the kitchen.

Heredil and the twins were in the front, clearing stone and debris as if their lives depended on it…which they did.

"Do you think that they are alive?" Elrohir couldn't help but ask his brother.

Elladan sighed, pausing to look at him. His eyes showed the same fear that Elrohir felt, but he put a hand on his twin's shoulder. "We must have hope. Ada is strong, as are Thranduil and Legolas."

Elrohir echoed the sigh, but he nodded and continued removing rock from the pile.

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The three injured elves had no coherent measure of time, or rather, the King and Prince didn't. Elrond was still unconscious, to their immense worry.

Thranduil was lying on the floor now, with Legolas' head pillowed on his stomach. Both elves were in terrible pain, and they prayed that they would be found quickly.

Thranduil alternated between smoothing his son's hair and checking Elrond's pulse. Time went by extremely slow, and Legolas eventually passed out again. The King had been alarmed by that, but he was grateful that at least his son was free from pain for a while.

Time continued to pass, and a short time later, Thranduil heard a wonderful sound: Elrond groaned.

"Elrond!" he exclaimed, sitting up and shifting his son's head to his lap. Pain flared through his body, but he ignored it. "Elrond?"

The dark-haired elf made no reply, remaining immobile.

The King placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Elrond? Wake, you stubborn Noldo!"

Elrond's eyes fluttered and he groaned again.

Thranduil tapped his friend's face, trying to assist him in waking.

Elrond's eyes suddenly squeezed shut tightly and his face screwed up in a grimace. He slowly brought up his right arm and laid a hand over his eyes.

"Elrond?" said Thranduil, nervously.

The other elf made another pained sound, remaining still.

Thranduil reached over and gently removed his friend's hand, trying to see his eyes. "Mellon-nin, please look at me."

Elrond obeyed, opening his eyes slightly. He looked completely confused, squinting to see the face above him.

"How do you feel?" the King asked, thinking it a ridiculous question.

Elrond sighed, closing his eyes. "Terrible." He placed his hand over his eyes again. "Where…are we…?" His voice was soft and weak, his face very pale.

"The kitchen," said the King. "It has collapsed; rainwater must have eroded the ground underneath us."

"Kitchen?" Elrond repeated. He sounded dazed.

Thranduil frowned. "The main kitchen of the Mirkwood Palace." When Elrond still showed no understanding, a chill went down the King's spine. "Elrond—do you know who I am?"

The other elf squinted again, giving no answer.

Thranduil lifted a hand to his own head as his headache increased thanks to the frightening implications of this new situation.

Suddenly, a hand touched his leg, and he opened his eyes.

Elrond was blinking, eyebrows furrowed. "Th—?" he said, trying to recall his friend's name.

The King said nothing, wanting Elrond to remember on his own, but the healer said no more, closing his eyes with a frustrated sigh.

Thranduil patted his friend's arm, in shock over his memory loss. "What do you remem—"

"Legolas!"

With that, Elrond struggled to sit up, reaching for the unconscious young elf.

Thranduil tried to hold him down with his good arm. "Elrond! Stay there; do not move!"

"What happened?" Elrond asked, finally sounding more coherent. His eyes were closed again though, as his sudden movement sent pain spreading through his body.

Thranduil frowned. "I told you, the kitchen collapsed."

A confused expression crossed Elrond's face again. "Kitchen?"

Thranduil blinked. "In the Mirkwood Palace. Do you not recall?"

Elrond reopened his eyes and looked around the room, trying not to move his splitting head. "The kitchen…collapsed?" he echoed for the third time.

Before Thranduil had a chance to react to his friend's obviously-serious problem, Legolas suddenly groaned.

Elrond tried to sit up again, but Thranduil prevented him.

"Legolas?" said the King. "Remain still."

The younger elf opened his eyes, wincing.

Elrond tried again to sit up, but Thranduil stopped him, knowing that his friend would probably lose consciousness again, with his head injury being so severe.

Legolas' eyebrows shot up at the sight of Elrond awake, but his expression turned into one of confusion at the elf-lord's words.

The healer made an exasperated sound at the King, angry at being restrained. "Let me see my son!"

Thranduil frowned again. "Your son? Legolas is _my_ son!"

Elrond stopped struggling, groaning and closing his eyes.

Legolas stared at Elrond, wondering if he'd heard correctly.

"Elrond, I admit that you are frightening me!" said Thranduil.

The Noldo elf reopened his eyes, confusion still evident in them. He said nothing for a minute, before shifting his gaze to the King. "I appear to have suffered damage to my head."

_Very good, Elrond._ "Aye," Thranduil said.

"I cannot recall what happened," Elrond went on, sounding shocked. "The memory is gone from me." He looked at Legolas again, squinting at the slab of stone that hid his lower body. "Oh, penneth!" he said.

"I am all right," Legolas said. The weakness and pain in his voice showed his words to be a lie.

"Thranduil?" said Elrond.

"Yes?" said the King, overjoyed to hear his old friend finally remember his name.

"Please help me sit up." Fear over his friend's conditions had filled him with adrenaline, giving him some strength that he intended to put to good use.

The King's eyebrows shot up. "That is not wise, Elrond, in your condition—"

"I _know_ my condition," Elrond snapped. "I have a concussion. My leg and wrist are broken. My ribs are bruised. _But_, I still need to check Legolas." He squinted at the King. "And _you_."

Thranduil said nothing, staring at the pale, pained face of his son.

Elrond tried to sit up again, and the King helped him, wrapping his good arm around his friend's back.

Elrond couldn't prevent a gasp at the pain that filled his body. His head spun sickeningly and nausea gripped his stomach. His eyes closed by themselves, and he slumped against Thranduil, his meager strength quickly lost.

The King had expected something like that, but he hadn't expected his own broken rib to be jarred in the process. His gasp of pain somehow got through to Elrond, who tried to squirm away from his friend even as he gasped from pain himself.

Thranduil held onto his friend despite his rib's protest.

The healer had, ironically, underestimated his own condition, and shook with the effort of not passing out. If his friend hadn't been holding him so tightly, he would've fallen flat on the floor.

Taking advantage of his upright position—not sure how long it would last—Elrond shakily reached over to check Legolas' pulse, but his blurred vision made him miss the younger elf's arm. His nausea suddenly got worse and his vision turned gray. He clamped a hand over his mouth, praying that whatever was in his stomach would stay there.

Thranduil debated whether or not to lay Elrond down again. He knew that if he did, Elrond probably would _stay_ down—which is where he belonged, but the King was afraid for his son, and wanted Elrond's assessment…if he was able to _give_ one…

Elrond was relieved when the contents of his stomach miraculously stayed put. He realized that he had no idea how long he'd lain unconscious; his stomach, thankfully, appeared to be empty. He shakily removed his hand, breathing heavily; his head had never in his long life hurt as badly as it did at that moment and he actually wished that he _had_ passed out…he was sure that he probably would before the hour was up.

"Elrond?" Legolas said, frightened to see the elf in such bad physical shape.

The healer opened his eyes, finding his vision not only blurred, but doubled, now. "Thranduil," he said, sounding much weaker. "Assist me."

For an indeterminable amount of time, they King helped Elrond examine Legolas. Thranduil literally had to place the healer's hand where he wanted it; Elrond's vision was so affected by his head injury. It was very upsetting that nothing could be done about the stone slab sitting on the Prince's hip, and they were unable to get to his injured knee.

Elrond, whose skin had always been darker than Thranduil and Legolas' thanks to his human blood, looked paler than they could've ever imagined. He tried to stick his arm through a gap in the stone slabs, but it was too narrow.

Thranduil held onto his friend, fearing that the Lord of Imladris would fall without the support.

Elrond eventually gave up trying to reach Legolas' legs, and tried to sit back up.

Thranduil gently helped him, but Elrond would've been better off lying down instead, for lifting his head caused it to painfully spin. The next thing he saw was blackness.

Thranduil gasped when Elrond went limp, barely stopping him from falling across Legolas. "Elrond!" he exclaimed, laying his friend down.

The dark-haired elf gave no answer, unconscious once more.

Legolas reached out a hand towards the elf who he considered a second father, but he couldn't reach over Thranduil.

The King checked his friend's pulse, finding it beating much too fast. He sighed heavily, which nearly drove himself to the floor from his own pain.

"Ada," said Legolas, his voice pain-filled and weak. Thranduil could tell from his tone that he was reaching the end of his endurance.

"We will be out soon, ion-nin," said Thranduil, carefully lying down with his son's head still in his lap. His injured shoulder and arm protested vehemently, and his own senses seemed to swim, later making him unsure if he'd passed out or fallen asleep…

TBC (runs)


	5. As if Things Can't Get Worse

Hey everyone! Sorry this isn't a new chapter...I'm reposting this because a lot of people told me that they didn't get the author alert yesterday. This way, with another alert going out, people who didn't know that I posted yesterday will find out now! ;) Thank you for all the wonderful reviews, by the way. I appreciate every single one! ;)

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Word quickly spread through Mirkwood of the palace collapse and that the King, Prince, and Lord of Imladris were trapped. Every available elf had arrived to help, their exhaustion from the past week replaced with fear for the three elves' lives. They all seemed to work as one—orders hardly needing to be given.

Elladan and Elrohir were terrified at the possibility that their father, their friend that they considered a brother, and an elf that they considered an uncle could all be dead. The twins both knew that they would surely fade if the other three were gone from life.

"Look out!" they suddenly heard.

The twins both stumbled backwards as a pile of rubble slid, crashing loudly to the ground.

Heredil closed his eyes and clenched his fists; the rubble now filled an area that they had just cleared. Silently, he approached it and started removing pieces of rock, but he stopped when Elladan grabbed his arm. "What?"

"Listen," said the older twin, nervously.

The Mirkwood Captain obeyed, his eyes widening at what he heard.

It was raining once more.

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All three of the injured elves were either unconscious or deeply asleep. The crash from the fallen rocks didn't wake any of them; neither did the sound of the sudden downpour. When the rain grew even heavier a few minutes later, none of them were awake to see the water coming into the room…

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Noon approached, making everyone quite aware that the royal elves had been trapped for many hours. Much of the rubble had been cleared, but they were still hours away from being rescued. The rain still fell, just as torrentially as it had the days before, and Heredil was secretly afraid that if the three elves were still alive and water filled the room…they could drown.

He didn't know how right he was.

The water rose slowly, on one side of the demolished room—the side where the three elves lay.

The severity of Legolas' injuries caused him to slip into shock, and the puddle of water that he now lay in was making his condition worse.

Elrond lay unconscious next to Thranduil, and the King lay deeply asleep. Loud sounds seeped into his consciousness, but it took a while for him to fully wake.

Opening his eyes, Thranduil lay motionless for a minute, slightly confused. His body felt like an oliphaunt had fallen on him, and he moved his head. What he saw brought back to his mind what had occurred.

"Legolas," Thranduil said, quickly reaching out to check his son's pulse. The beat under his fingers was too fast, and the King was horrified to see that all three of them lay in a pool of water. It had accumulated a couple of inches, and he was immensely grateful that none of them had been lying face-down.

The sound of falling rain met his ears, and he looked around to see where it was coming in. The remains of the kitchen were sloped downward, and he could see water flowing in from the thoroughly-saturated ground. He wondered how long they'd been trapped as he checked Elrond's pulse next. The elf lord's heartbeat was also faster than it should be, and Thranduil jumped—painfully—when a crashing noise sounded. He realized that it was the sound of stone being cleared and he called out, "Heredil?"

The Mirkwood Captain stopped what he was doing after thinking that he'd heard his friend's voice. "Thranduil?" he yelled. "Thranduil, can you hear me?"

Everyone halted, listening.

"I hear you, Heredil," they heard.

The crowd of elves cheered loudly.

"Hush!" the twins exclaimed, gesturing for everyone to be quiet.

"Are you all right?" Heredil asked. "What of Legolas and Elrond?"

Everyone held their breath when no answer immediately came. They didn't know that that shouting was causing their King pain because of his ribs.

The twins' heart's sped up, and they unconsciously grabbed each other's hand.

"They live," Thranduil finally said. "We are all injured, however; Legolas and Elrond are both unconscious." He paused again, taking a painful breath. "We all have broken bones and head injuries; Elrond's concussion is the worst, and Legolas is trapped."

The twins shot horrified looks at each other.

"Has our father woken at all?" Elladan called.

"Yes," said the King. "They both have."

Everyone sighed with relief—it appeared that all three elves would live.

"Water is coming in," Thranduil suddenly said.

Heredil cringed, having expected that. "How high is it?"

"A few inches," the King told him. "And Legolas is trapped…he cannot be moved."

Everyone looked at each other nervously, realizing the implications.

"We are trying to hurry, mellon-nin," said Heredil, his voice showing calm that he didn't feel. "We will have you all out soon. If Legolas becomes endangered by the rising water, tell us immediately."

"Of course," Thranduil replied.

Heredil looked at the warriors, who quickly resumed their job, working harder than ever.

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Thranduil sighed as he carefully sat up, gently shifting his son's head onto his lap.

Legolas' skin was very chilled, thanks to the cold rainwater, and the white color of his skin was very frightening to see.

"Legolas?" he said, needing to hear his son's voice, desperately praying that he wasn't dying.

The younger elf gave no reply.

Thranduil sighed again, uncaring that it caused pain to his ribs. He felt Elrond's pulse next, calling his friend's name. The Noldo elf showed no signs of waking either, so Thranduil sat quietly, feeling alone and afraid for the lives of two elves that meant so much to him...

TBC


	6. Freed!

Hey everyone! Here it is: the chapter you've all been waiting for, lol! ;)

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An hour later, the elves finally managed to reach what used to be the doorway to the kitchen.

Elladan and Elrohir climbed up the rubble, trying to see how close they could get to the wall.

"Thranduil!" Heredil shouted.

"Yes?" they heard.

"Are you near the entrance?"

"No," said the King. "We are on the other side of the room."

Heredil nodded at the twins, knowing their plan.

Elladan and Elrohir pushed against the rubble, trying to collapse it on the other end.

"How are Legolas and Elrond?" Heredil called.

"Unconscious still," said Thranduil. "The water rises."

Elladan suddenly gave a triumphant shout when rubble fell away from them into the demolished kitchen.

The crowd of elves cheered, and the twins both disappeared from view as they jumped into the room.

Thranduil closed his eyes with relief, gently stroking his son's hair.

The twins rushed forward, their stomachs clenching with fear at the sight of their father and friend lying motionless in the rising water.

Elladan's chest constricted when he saw the blood on his father, and he dropped to his knees in the water, checking his pulse with a shaking hand. He sighed with relief when he found it, but the fear remained at the heartbeat's speed.

Elrohir looked over his father before looking at Legolas, his eyes widening in shock when he saw the stone slab trapping his friend.

Heredil had climbed through the hole by now, and he quickly ran over, with healers behind him. He was relieved to see Thranduil sitting up, but he gasped at Legolas' and Elrond's state. "We need help!" he yelled. "We need to free Legolas!"

One by one, Mirkwood warriors jumped through the hole, while others worked at making the opening bigger, to get the injured elves out more safely.

The situation with Legolas was very delicate; shifting the stone could accidentally cause it to fall on the young elf and crush his legs—or kill him.

The healers treated the elves' injuries as best they could. Thranduil refused to move, despite everyone's fear for his safety, being so close to the precarious stone slab. He stubbornly stayed where he was, his son's head on his lap, stroking his hair.

Rope was brought in and debris around the slab carefully moved. They were eventually able to tie the rope around the huge piece of stone, and dozens of elves held the other end, holding tightly, each one praying that it wouldn't fall on Legolas or the King once it was shifted.

Finally, Heredil gave the command. "Pull!" he exclaimed.

The group of elves obeyed, and it slowly began to move.

Unexpectedly, the previously unconscious Prince gave a cry of pain.

"Legolas!" Thranduil exclaimed.

At a quick gesture from Heredil, Elladan grabbed the King and yanked him out of the way as the Mirkwood Captain quickly grabbed Legolas under the arms and dragged him away from the rock. His heart constricted at the younger elf's agonized cry, and he felt terrible to have caused Legolas more pain.

Not three seconds later, the slab of rock slammed back down, too heavy to hold. The Prince's narrow escape wasn't lost on anyone, and most—if not all—of the elves in the room were shaken at the realization.

Legolas' eyes were squeezed shut as he gasped and moaned from the excruciating pain. Tears slipped from his eyes of their own accord.

Thranduil scurried back to his son, accidentally splashing water in Elladan's face. "Legolas!" he exclaimed, stroking his hair again.

The Mirkwood healers assessed the 'new' injuries that they finally had access to. The Prince's left hip and knee were covered in blood, alarming the healers, who assumed that broken bones had penetrated his skin. A quick look showed that his hip was indeed broken, but the blood came from many deep cuts inflicted by sharp edges of the stone. The same was found for Legolas' knee, which was severely cut-up and the kneecap dislocated.

The hole that allowed entrance into the demolished room was finally made wide enough to allow Elrond to be carried out, and the twins brought him to the healing wing.

Thranduil refused to be carried, watching as the healers prepared to put Legolas on a litter. It was extremely difficult, for the injured elf couldn't be rolled to either direction—his left side because of his hip and collarbone, and his right side because of the broken rib in his back. They had no choice but to lift him onto it, causing the poor elf to pass out from the pain.

Thranduil began to stand as Legolas' litter was lifted, and Heredil reached out to help him. He wasn't surprised at all when the King stumbled and nearly fell, and he took his friend's good arm and pulled it over his shoulders, helping him walk.

Legolas was carefully carried through the hole and lifted down, and though everyone was relieved to see the young Prince alive, his obviously serious condition commanded silence as they watched him be carried away.

The King's sudden appearance through the hole was met with great relief, and many of the warriors called well-wishes for him and Legolas, but Thranduil hardly heard them as he watched the healers carry his son to the healing wing.

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Voices penetrated his consciousness, but they seemed very far away. He couldn't understand the words, and it was a few minutes before he even realized that he was awake. Hands touched his body, but he didn't even feel them until his sluggish brain reminded him that he was in quite a lot of pain. He heard someone groan, not realizing that it was himself until the voices all stopped and a pair of hands gently gripped his shoulders.

"Ada?" he heard.

Elrond was finally able to open his eyes, and he blinked up at his sons. At first he wasn't sure if he was seeing both of them or just one, for his vision was still doubled.

"Ada," Elladan repeated. "Do you know who I am?"

Elrond knew then that both of his sons were there, for the voice hadn't come from all of the apparitions. To his shame, though, his pain and troubled vision prevented him from being sure if it was Elladan or Elrohir who spoke. "Ion-nin," he whispered.

Elladan shared a look with his brother. That was a good sign, at least.

Elrond blinked as healers scurried around him. He was quite disoriented, and tried to remember what had happened. What had Thranduil told him?

Elladan flinched when his father suddenly gasped, and he loosened his hold on the older elf's broken wrist, thinking that he'd hurt him.

"Legolas!" Elrond exclaimed, trying to get up.

"Do not move, ada!" said Elrohir, holding him down.

"Legolas is trapped!" Elrond exclaimed, trying to free himself from his son's grip. He was too weak though, and the frantic movements aggravated his head injury, making everything spin.

"He is free," Elladan said, laying a hand on his father's cheek, forcing Elrond to look at him. "He is no longer trapped; they bring him here as we speak."

The fight went out of Elrond at those words, and he went limp, his eyes unfocusing as his brain protested his movement.

"No ada, stay awake," Elladan said, frantically.

Elrond tried to obey, but his eyes fell half-closed and his breathing became shallow.

The twins watched worriedly, hands shaking as they helped the healers care for their father's injuries.

A minute or two later, Legolas was brought into the room on a litter. The twins paused for a second as they watched the healers lay the litter on the bed next to Elrond's. The young elf looked terrible, and they fervently prayed that he would survive his injuries.

Thranduil hobbled in a minute later with Heredil's help. He stood beside his son's bed, watching the healers treat him.

"Come," said Heredil. "You need tending yourself."

Everyone expected the King to refuse, but Thranduil knew that Legolas needed much help, probably including surgery. He would not be able to sit at his son's side for a long time, and so, after a minute, he reluctantly nodded.

The King's injuries weren't as serious as Legolas' and Elrond's, but they still took much time to tend. When the healers were finished, Thranduil's broken shoulder and arm had been set and splinted, his broken rib carefully bound, and his leg stitched. His head injury wasn't deep, and had long-since stopped bleeding, but they wrapped it to keep it protected.

Elrond's head injury needed stitches and the healers feared a fracture in his skull, but they knew that nothing could be done for it. Elrohir sat on the side of the bed, holding his father's good wrist in his hand as he constantly monitored his pulse, alert for any significant change. They found many dark bruises on his body, and his sons couldn't help but wonder what exactly had fallen on him.

Unfortunately for Elrond, the painkilling herbs that they had given him were not very strong, for they didn't want him to fall asleep and risk losing consciousness again from his concussion. He eventually passed out anyway, though, when they worked on setting his broken leg. No one was surprised, knowing the amount of pain that he was in. After they were finished with the Lord of Rivendell's injuries, they joined the healers that tended the Prince.

The healers tried to work fast on the young elf, for they hadn't given him a sleeping herb, afraid that if they did, he might never wake. He was deeply unconscious, having not moved so much as a finger.

It was found that the break in Legolas' hip was a simple one, and thankfully not too difficult to set. Some of the cuts needed stitches in order for the skin to knit together, on both his hip and his knee, which was also easily mended once they pushed the kneecap back where it belonged.

Legolas' collarbone turned out to be worse than anticipated, and they needed to cut into him in order to set the bone, which had snapped inward. The same needed to be done to the rib in his back.

All through the treatment, Legolas' unconscious body shook, his skin cold from the shock induced by his injuries, made all the worse by laying in the cold rainwater. A fire had been lit, and heated bricks placed under his blankets. The same had to be done to Elrond's bed when they likewise found the older elf to be shivering.

Thranduil had fallen into a daze, thanks to the painkilling herbs. It had been done purposely, for the healers knew that he needed to be out of their way while they worked on the young Prince.

When they finally finished, Legolas was still unconscious…

TBC


	7. The End of Elrond?

Hi everyone! ;) Enjoy the chapter! ;)

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Elladan sighed, glancing at his brother before looking over at Legolas' bed. Thranduil sat beside it, the hand on his good arm lying on his son's head, stroking his hair. Heredil quietly sat in a chair on the other side of the bed.

Legolas remained unconscious, but his temperature had risen closer to normal. Evening had passed, and they eagerly awaited the Prince's awakening, which the healers said could happen any time.

A sigh caught Elladan's attention, and he looked back at Elrohir, who stared at their father. Elrond was still deeply unconscious thanks to his severe concussion. The elf-lord's temperature hadn't risen at the speed of Legolas'; his skin was still too cold. It was wondered if his human blood was the reason.

"He will be fine," Elladan told his brother, optimistically. _He has to be, _he thought.

Elrohir smiled slightly, though his worry didn't leave. It wasn't often that they found themselves sitting vigil at their father's bedside—he was usually sitting besides theirs or Legolas'.

Thunder suddenly rumbled following a flash of lightening, reminding them that it was still raining.

"Ai," Elrohir whispered, at the continued implications of Mirkwood's extremely abnormal wet-spell.

"Legolas?" they suddenly heard.

Everyone turned to look at the King, who had managed to painfully maneuver himself from the chair to the bed, where he sat stiffly, a hand resting on his son's cheek. "Are you awake, ion-nin?" he said. "Please open your eyes!"

Healers moved to the Prince's bed, and Thranduil's worried expression turned into a relieved smile as his son's eyes opened. "Legolas! How do you feel?"

The young elf blinked, looking over his father's condition before turning his head slightly to find Elrond.

Elladan and Elrohir left their father for only a moment, long enough to greet their friend and reassure him—or rather, lie to him—that Elrond was all right.

"Fine," Legolas finally answered Thranduil's question.

Thranduil smiled, barely holding back an un-kingly snort. "And I am a warg."

The twins chuckled, and Legolas smiled back.

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The rain continued all night, and Elrond remained unconscious.

Thranduil, not wanting to be away from Legolas, had their beds pushed together. The young Prince slept deeply all night; his worry for the Rivendell elf overcome by his pain-filed body's need for sleep.

Thranduil slept more than he expected himself to—he was terribly worried for his son, his long-time friend, and his kingdom. _When will the rain end?_ he wondered, just before the sleeping herbs that he didn't know were in his tea took effect.

Elladan and Elrohir were awake almost the entire night, in chairs beside Elrond's bed, though they eventually took turns lying on the mattress beside their father.

Elrond was completely motionless, eyes shut. It was a frightening sight to his sons, who could literally count the number of times that they'd seen him sleep that way.

With the dawn, everyone was relieved to find that the rain had stopped. The sky was still darkened by gray clouds however, and everyone doubted that the storm was finally ended.

Legolas, though still heavily drugged, finally realized that Elrond was not as healthy as his father and the twins made him seem. He tried to sit up, but pain drove him back down again before anyone could try to restrain him.

"Why has he not yet woken?" he exclaimed, clearly upset.

"His head injury is quite severe," Thranduil told him, soothingly stroking his son's hair. "He will be all right in time."

Legolas looked towards the twins, who smiled their own reassurance. He closed his eyes, sighing. "How do you know?"

"By the fact that he has already woken more than once since his head was struck," said Elladan. "He will wake. He _must_."

Everyone shared the sentiment. Life would be impossible if Elrond died. His sons would undoubtedly sail, and Legolas would live a miserable life—staying in Middle Earth for Thranduil's sake, but forced to live life away from the elves that he considered brothers and a second father.

The day was a very difficult one, as they nervously awaited Elrond's awakening…but it never came.

That night, in a rare moment as everyone slept—however fitfully—Legolas stared at the Lord of Imladris as he thought back through the years of times spent in Rivendell.

_(Boom!)_

_With a gasp, Legolas woke from the sound of thunder, bolting upright in his bed. Putting a hand to his chest from fright, the little elfling looked around his darkened room, trying to figure out what had woken him._

_Lightning suddenly flashed, and he gave a soft cry of fear, jumping out of the bed as thunder rumbled again. Running to the door, he opened it with some difficulty thanks to his panic, and dashed down the hall, straight towards another door._

_Opening it, the little elfling ran to the bed, his sounds masked by the loudness of the rain. He reached the bed and climbed atop it, burrowing under the covers._

_Elrond woke with a sudden jerk as a tiny foot accidentally kicked him in the stomach. Grabbing the edge of the blanket, he lifted it, to find a pair of bright blue eyes staring at him…or rather, that's what he would've seen had it not been dark in the room. However, he did not need to guess as to his bed's new occupant, for there was only one person this size in his home._

_"Legolas?" he said, throwing the blanket back so he could see the elfling. "Whatever is wrong?"_

_Lightning chose that moment to flash, and Legolas pulled the blanket back over his head._

_Laying his head back down on the pillow, Elrond smiled slightly, reaching under the blanket to stroke the elfling's hair. "There is no need to fear, penneth," he said. "Nothing will harm you."_

_"I know," a small, disembodied voice said._

_"You do?" Elrond replied. "Then why are you frightened?"_

_"I was frightened," Legolas said, cuddling up to the elf-lord. "When I was alone. But now that I am here with you, I am no longer afraid."_

_Elrond smiled at his words, and he pulled the Mirkwood Princeling up higher, where he held him against his chest. "You need never fear anything while you dwell in my home, little one."_

_Legolas smiled back and drifted off to sleep, safe in Elrond's arms._

As dawn rose on Middle Earth, the sun shone for the first time in a week. Its gentle beams silently touched the unconscious elf-lord's face, and silent tears slid down Legolas' cheeks.

TBC


	8. Progress

The kingdom of Mirkwood woke that day to a wonderful sight; the sun was shining brightly and there wasn't a cloud in the sky, as if it had never rained. In the healing room that housed the royal elves, the room was so bright that the healers had to pull the curtains partly closed.

Legolas slept until nearly noon, no one having known that he'd been awake most of the night.

The sun enticed Thranduil to rise from his bed and limp to the window. His spirits were as lightened as the sky now was, but the one thing marring it was the uncertainty of Elrond's future.

Legolas eventually woke, but he was very quiet, especially when he found that Elrond was still unconscious. He uncharacteristically lacked hope; possibly a mood-altering side effect from the herbs. Heredil tried to entertain him, but it didn't work very well.

Legolas' mood drastically changed though when a sudden groan was heard.

The sun was setting, and the sound was somewhat unexpected. The twins both dashed forward to sit on their father's bed, and Legolas tried to get up, but Heredil stopped him before he could hurt himself.

"Ada!" Elrohir exclaimed. "Open your eyes!"

"Please, ada," said Elladan, gently but firmly tapping their father's face. "You must wake! Wake, ada!"

The injured elf-lord heard the voices, and, being groggy, was annoyed by them. He tried to turn his face away from whatever was tapping it, but the motion hurt and he stopped with another groan.

"Ada!" Elladan said again, louder.

Elrond groaned again and lifted his left hand, intending to bring it to his head. He was too weak, however, and it fell back to the mattress.

Both twins reached to take their father's hand, but Elrohir grabbed it first. "Please open your eyes, ada," he said, pleadingly. "We fear for you!"

Legolas nervously watched from his bed, wishing that he could get up.

Thranduil painfully limped over to the twins, putting his hand on Elladan's shoulder to steady himself as he leaned over the bed. "Elrond!" he practically bellowed. "Wake, you pompous, pig-headed Noldo!"

Everyone looked at the King, in shock at his words.

Elrond winced at the loud voice, but he finally opened his eyes.

Thranduil gave what almost sounded like a snort. "I knew _that_ would do it."

"I…am not…pompous," Elrond croaked, blinking dazedly.

"Ah, but you admit to being pig-headed?" said the King.

Elrond smiled slightly and opened his mouth to protest, but his head hurt too much. He groaned again and closed his eyes, succeeding in bringing a hand to his head this time.

"Be still, ada," said Elladan, gently patting his arm.

"Is he all right?" Legolas exclaimed, worried.

Elrond heard his voice and opened his eyes, ever so slowly turning his head. He smiled at what he saw. "Legolas," he said, in immense relief.

Legolas smiled.

Thranduil was relieved that Elrond didn't appear to still be suffering problems with his memory, until the Lord of Imladris asked, "What happened?"

"What do you recall?" Elladan asked.

Elrond was quiet for a moment, a hand still on his head. "Legolas was trapped…somewhere…?"

"The kitchen," Thranduil said. "The kitchen collapsed."

Elladan looked up at the injured King who was still standing, and he rose from his chair and motioned Thranduil to sit in it.

Elrond said nothing for a minute, before his expression changed. "I remember." He looked around the room, sensing that time had passed. "When were we rescued?"

Elladan sat on the bed beside his father. "Two and a half days ago, ada. You lost consciousness while we treated your injuries."

Elrond was slightly surprised to hear that. Before he could say anything else, Legolas suddenly spoke.

"Push my bed closer!" the young elf loudly exclaimed.

Everyone looked at him, realizing that everyone surrounded Elrond's bed while the poor Prince was forcefully kept away. Because of Legolas' maturity, everyone often forgot just how young he really was—barely twenty in the eyes of a human—and the twins quickly stood to their feet, to comply.

Heredil assisted them, and they carefully pushed Legolas' bed over to Elrond's, leaving just enough space to walk in between them.

Legolas stretched out his right arm to the elf-lord, and Elrond reached out his left, both of them finding it amusing that those were conveniently the arms that were uninjured. The touch comforted both elves, and they simply smiled at each other.

"I thought you were…dying," Legolas finally said.

Elrond gave him a sympathetic look.

"Sometimes I feel as if people are right," the Prince continued, sadly. "Wherever I go, trouble follows."

The twins quickly interrupted him.

"Oh, Legolas!" Elladan exclaimed. "That was said in jest!"

"We were not serious!" said Elrohir.

"Whether you meant it or not," said Legolas, upset. "It is true! I cannot understand why, but it is true!"

Thranduil sat on the bed beside his son. "Legolas, we cannot deny that you have been quite the imp as you've grown," he said, with a smile. "Some of the trouble you've been involved in was merely the result of childishness and happens to nearly everyone. Other situations were unforeseen as a result of a wrong decision, and others were accidents that cannot have been prevented: such as _this_. Surely you know that the kitchen would have collapsed no matter _who_ was inside it that night!"

Legolas sighed, knowing his father's words to be true. "Of course," he said, feeling embarrassed now.

"Good," Thranduil said, affectionately ruffling his son's hair.

Legolas chuckled. His smile suddenly faded though. "Elrond!" he exclaimed.

Everyone looked at the elf-lord, to see that his eyes were closed.

Legolas shook the older elf's arm,jostling Elrond, who winced and opened his eyes.

"What is it?" he mumbled.

"Your eyes were closed!" Legolas exclaimed.

Elrond smiled slightly, and re-closed them. "I am tired."

Legolas squeezed his hand. "Forgive me."

"No need," Elrond said, voice drifting as he dozed off.

Legolas sighed, watching the elf-lord sleep.

Thranduil patted his son's arm, feeling no jealousy over Legolas' love for Rivendell's leader. Elrond had been his truest friend over their many millennia of life, and had been the healer to deliver Legolas when he had been born dangerously early. Elrond had saved the infant Prince's life by breathing for him when he would not do so on his own, and Thranduil knew that Elrond loved Legolas as if he were his own son. He was glad that Legolas had the elf-lord and twins to love as family.

"He will be fine, Legolas," said Elladan. "We will wake him frequently so that he does not lose consciousness again.

Legolas smiled, greatly relieved. He closed his own eyes, tiredness and pain catching up to him.

"Sleep," Thranduil said, fixing the covers around his son.

The young Prince needed no further convincing, dozing off immediately.

"The same goes for _you_," said Heredil. "You are not healed yet!"

Thranduil scoffed. "I am perfectly fine, Heredil. My injuries were not nearly as bad as theirs."

Heredil looked incredulous. "Not as bad does not mean that they aren't bad enough. Lie down!"

The twins chuckled.

Thranduil frowned, but slowly walked over to his bed and obeyed. "Makes one wonder who is the King here!" he mumbled under his breath.

TBC ;)


	9. Setback

Hello? (peeks from behind rock) Remember me? (waves nervously) I don't know what to say except that I am SO sorry that this chapter wasn't ready for posting—_gulp_—a month ago. I can't believe it took so long! You guys know me; I never miss a post! I always finish writing the story before I begin posting it, but this time, I started posting it when I'd only gotten to the end of chapter 8. I figured, 'it's almost done, I'll be finished WAY before I get to week 9.' Heh, boy was I wrong. I started an awesome new job, but have been so tired lately that I couldn't write, lol. Then, when I _tried_ to write, the words just didn't come to me. I managed to finally do it yesterday, and here it is. It's not very long, but at least it's here! ;) If chapter 10 isn't ready for next week, forgive me, lol, it won't take another month for it, I promise! There aren't many chapters left, #10 or 11 could even be the last one.

Anyway, enjoy this chapter, and as always, thanks for reading it:)

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Legolas woke the next morning to soft laughter. Curious, he opened his eyes to see the twins smiling, with Elrohir apparently trying to stifle his chuckles. Wondering what was so amusing, Legolas looked at Elrond, immediately finding the reason.

The ancient elf-lord, blessedly awake, was frowning, one eyebrow raised. He was glaring at his sons as much as his weakened condition would allow him—which wasn't very much.

A hand touched Legolas' arm, and he turned his head to find Thranduil sitting on the other side of his bed. The King was smiling, and said, "It seems that you are getting your due, old friend!"

Legolas hid a smirk; it was obvious that the twins were enjoying turning the tables on their father for a change, obviously denying their father whatever it was that he wanted to do. He sincerely hoped that the Noldo elf wasn't trying to get out of bed.

"There is no reason why I should not be allowed to sit up," said Elrond, but his voice denied his words.

Elladan shook his head. "If you really want so badly to pass out, I suppose we should just let you, then."

Elrond sighed, closing his eyes. He knew that his sons were right; with a head injury as bad as his, he was fortunate to have survived.

Looking towards the window, the elf-lord watched the sunlight, painfully squinting. Birds were singing and a gentle breeze was blowing, making it hard to believe that it had ever rained.

"There shall soon be a new kitchen," Thranduil suddenly said.

"Indeed?" Elrond asked.

The King nodded. "The rubble has been cleared and work already begun. If you'd like, you can be the first person to step foot in it after it is finished."

Elrond shot his old friend an odd look, knowing that he was being teased. "If I am _allowed_ to walk," he said, sarcastically.

The twins suddenly found their surroundings interesting.

Legolas chuckled, unable to resist. It was extremely amusing to see Elrond under his sons' care rather than the other way around. He suddenly realized that he himself was going to have a very difficult time getting around once he was able to get out of bed. The thought made him frown, and Thranduil saw it.

"Legolas?" said the King.

Not wishing to burden his father, the Prince shook his head.

Before Thranduil could say anything, the door opened as Heredil came in, followed by three female servants. They were all carrying food trays, and Legolas' frown predictably vanished. A tray was placed on his nightstand, and Heredil and Thranduil began the task of carefully sitting Legolas up.

The young elf kept his face as stoic as possible, loath to display the pain his body felt, especially to his broken rib and hip.

Thranduil knew his son well, however, and could practically fell the pain transfer into his own body. He allowed Heredil to do most of the work, since the Mirkwood Captain was the only one of them who had use of both arms, and quickly fixed the pillows behind his son. As Heredil carefully leaned Legolas back, they became aware of an argument close by.

"I can feed myself!" Elrond exclaimed.

"Ada…" said Elladan, sounding exasperated.

"Why must you be so stubborn?" said Elrohir, sounding oddly joyful at the opportunity to ask such a thing.

Anger built up inside the elf-lord; Elrond being too injured to realize that damage from his head injury was wreaking havoc with his normal behavior pattern.

Elladan realized it, though, and patted his father's arm. "Forgive us, ada, we do not mean to frustrate you." He shot a stern look at his brother, silently telling him to be quiet.

Elrohir quickly wiped the smile off his face, seeing that his father wasn't completely coherent of the situation. "Forgive my words, Ada, we only mean to help you."

Despite the damage to his brain—which everyone prayed would only be temporary—Elrond's healer instincts came to the surface, to some degree at least, and he tried to force back his anger. With a sigh, he closed his eyes.

The twins waited patiently, until their father looked at them again.

"Come," Elladan said, purposely sounding cheerful. "Let us sit you up a little."

Elrond submitted as his sons slid him up into a half-reclining position, still afraid to sit him up fully lest he pass out from his head injury, which the twins secretly feared was worse then they knew.

The ancient elf-lord had to close his eyes again when his vision skewed from just that simple motion. All sound seemed to cease, and he had no idea how long it was before he reopened his eyes. He frowned at the looks of worry from his sons.

"Are you sure that you can eat, ada?" Elrohir asked, not wanting the food to make his father feel sick.

In truth, Elrond was rather hungry, having not eaten since before the kitchen's collapse. When offered food the day before after he'd finally came out of unconsciousness, his nauseated stomach had forced him to refuse.

Seeing their father nod, Elladan handed him a cup of broth first, not letting go when his father took it in his good hand.

Elrond drank it slowly, hoping that his stomach wouldn't revolt. It didn't, and he knew that it was thanks to the nausea-preventing herbs that he could taste in it. The warm broth felt comforting, and he smiled at Elladan as he handed the cup back.

His sons smiled back at him.

In the nearby bed, Legolas was already finished eating, not hampered by an unhappy stomach. He and Thranduil both watched Elrond, inwardly grateful that the Imladris elf had survived his injuries. It was still chilling to know how close Elrond—how close all _three_ of them—had come to death…

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Later that afternoon, Legolas and Elrond both slept. The twins had both gone for a break, having been in the healing room nearly non-stop since their father had been injured. Thranduil had also left, only for a moment, but naturally, that's when disaster chose to strike.

Elrond dreamed…he dreamed of Celebrian, which wasn't unusual. What _was_ unusual was the injured state of his brain, and the vivid dream woke him.

"Celebrian?" he exclaimed, not quite lucid.

He received no answer, and turned his head slightly, seeing Legolas in the nearby bed. He frowned, trying to remember what had happened to them, but the memory was temporarily gone from him again.

A thrill of fear filled him at the thought of the young Mirkwood Prince being injured, and he tried to get out of bed. He had a vague feeling that he should not be moving, but he managed to sit up on the side of the bed, head spinning and throbbing, his body fiercely aching. "Legolas?" he called.

The young elf's head was turned away from him, and Elrond's concussion-affected vision couldn't even tell if he was breathing. Using all the strength that he had, he stood, but instantly wobbled, his broken leg unable to hold him.

The elf-lord gasped at the pain and reached out to catch himself, but only had one usable arm. His vision turned gray, and he crashed to the floor.

_I should have listened to my sons, _was Elrond's last thought before his consciousness fled.

TBC  
(runs from screaming readers)


	10. Stubborn Elves

Legolas heard a voice call his name, but it took him a moment to fully wake. A thump brought him to full consciousness, and he opened his eyes, turning his head towards the sound. What he saw—or rather, what he didn't see—make him frown.

Elrond's bed was missing its occupant.

Blinking, Legolas painfully tried to sit up, wondering if his vision was lying to him. How could Elrond not be in his bed? No one would ever allow him to rise, in his condition…it was then that Legolas realized that no one else was in the room. A horrible thought struck him as he remembered the thump that had woken him. "Elrond?" he said.

There was no answer.

A thrill of fear filled Legolas at the thought that the ancient elf had tried to rise and passed out in the attempt. "Elrond?" he called again. When he again received no answer, he reached out towards the nightstand and dragged himself out of his own bed.

Legolas had to bite his lip at the pain that filled his body, especially his hip and the rib in his back. His leg was completely immobilized from hip to ankle, so he didn't think that he was risking more damage to it by moving…he hoped.

Holding onto the nightstand, he had to fight back the dizziness that resulted from lying down for so long. He felt weaker than he'd expected, but he didn't care, wanting to ensure that Elrond was all right. Thankfully, the other elf's bed was only about six feet away, so, leaning against the wall, Legolas managed to drag himself there without mishap. Reaching the bed, he leaned his good arm on it and peeked to the other side. What he saw sent his heart into his throat.

Suddenly, the door opened as Thranduil walked in, and the King stopped in shock at seeing his son out of bed. "Legolas! What are you doing!"

The young elf was startled enough to nearly fall over. "Elrond needs help!" he said, pointing to the other side of the bed.

Thranduil realized that the other injured elf was missing, and he quickly rushed over, finding the elf-lord unconscious, leaned up against the side of his bed. "Elrond!" he exclaimed, kneeling beside him and tapping his face. "What happened?" he asked his son.

Legolas shook his head, having no idea.

Thranduil checked his old friend's pulse, finding it thankfully steady. He sighed, unable to lift Elrond because of his still-healing broken shoulder. Standing, he took his son by the arm and helped him back to his own bed. "Do not get up again," he said. "I will gethelp."

Legolas nodded, watching as his father quickly left. Looking back at Elrond's empty bed, he couldn't help the slight smile. _And I thought that the twins are I were stubborn! _

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Elrond's sons were on their way back to their father's room when Thranduil found them and told them what had happened. A few seconds later, the sight of two identical elves running as if they were being chased by orcs would have been humorous if not for the circumstances.

Elladan threw the door open, and he and his brother nearly got themselves stuck together in the doorway as they both tried to rush in.

Elrohir managed to get there first, and he threw himself to his knees and grabbed his father carefully. "Ada!" he exclaimed, his voice shaking.

Elrond gave no answer, eyes closed in unconsciousness.

"How did this happen?" Elladan asked, as he and his brother carefully lifted their father and placed him on the bed.

"I do not know!" Legolas answered. "I was asleep. I believe that he called to me, and then I heard him fall."

The twins had no reply to that, checking their father's injuries as they wondered why he'd tried to get out of bed.

"Did he hurt himself?" Legolas asked, fearfully.

"I cannot be sure about his leg," said Elladan, running his hands along the splint. "I see no evidence of further damage…"

"I think that his head is all right," said Elrohir. "He was sitting when we found him, so he likely did not strike it again on anything."

Everyone sighed with relief at that.

"So he is all right, then?" Legolas asked.

"He appears to be," said Elladan. "Though I cannot fathom why he got out of bed when he knew that this would be the likely result, with a head injury such as his."

Elrohir sighed, before suddenly chuckling. "If Ada thinks that we are going to spare him The Lecture, just because he is older than we are, he is quite wrong."

Elladan joined in the smile. "Indeed!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When Elrond later woke, he opened his eyes to find three faces staring down at him. He blinked, flinching at the unexpected sight.

"Ada?" said Elladan. "Do you know who we are?"

Elrond thought that an odd question. "Of course."

"Good," said Elrohir. "Then would you mind telling us why you rendered yourself unconscious by getting out of bed?"

Elrond blinked, not quite remembering.

Thranduil studied his old friend's face, concerned at his confusion. He saw the expression on Elrond's face eventually change, as he obviously remembered what had happened.

"I…dreamed," Elrond told them.

No one needed to ask what the dream contained, as it was quite obvious, especially to people who knew him so well.

"When I woke, I was disoriented," Elrond continued. "I saw Legolas, and could not recall recent events…" He looked over to the next bed, to see the young elf quietly watching.

"But I am fine," said Legolas, sounding upset over the situation. "My well-being was not worth harming yourself."

Elrond smiled. "Yes it is, and always has been."

Though not unexpected, those words were almost enough to bring tears to he young elf's eyes.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Over the next few days, Elrond refrained from further 'endangering' himself. His mind finally cleared; as whatever damage had been done to his brain began to heal. He obeyed his sons, proud to see what excellent healers they had become.

Legolas, on the other hand, wasn't as cooperative. Rather, he was as obedient as expected, but being young, was extremely restless. His want to go outside was overwhelming, especially now that the weather was rain-free. He was denied, however, as he was unable to walk and it would be too dangerous for his hip to be carried.

Finally, a little after a week since the accident, the day came that they let Elrond get out of bed.

Being an elf, his broken wrist was nearly healed. It would be weak for a short while longer, but the tiny bones had knit together quickly. His leg was mending well, and his head no longer spun at every movement.

As he stood, with his sons' help, he now understood their behavior when injured. He was so elated to be up and moving again, that he actually had to prevent himself from grinning like a fool.

Legolas watched, feeling jealous that he was still stuck in bed.

Standing made Elrond's head throb and caused dizziness, but he tried to ignore it. He was able to touch his leg to the floor, but it wasn't yet able to hold much weight.

Elladan and Elrohir held onto their father tightly, ensuring that he had enough balance. Their eyes were shining, at their elation that he'd survived his injuries and would soon be completely whole. The twins were exchanging meaningful glances that escaped their father's notice as he concentrated on standing.

Both Legolas and Thranduil knew what they were hiding.

Elrond took a few careful steps, putting most of his weight on his good leg. He was unsteady, as expected, but knew that he would quickly adjust.

Elladan made sure that Elrohir had a good hold on their father before he let go and walked over to a nearby table.

Elrond saw him pick something up, and asked, "What is that?"

Elladan returned and handed it to him. It was a walking stick. "We knew that you would need something to help you walk for a while," he said.

Elrond smiled, talking it and looking it over. There was a stunning leaf pattern woven around the dark wood, and the top was made of mithril. He looked at the twins, shaking his head with wonder. "I have never seen something more finely crafted!"

"That is because it was crafted with love," said Elrohir.

Elrond's smile widened and he hugged them both at once.

The twins happily returned his embrace, not letting go for a long time.

TBC  
How many people are saying, "Aww!" right now? ;)


	11. In With the New

Elrond quickly became accustomed to his walking stick, as his leg continued to mend. Unfortunately, he healed more slowly than most elves because of his human blood.

Legolas was finally allowed out of bed after his own body had healed enough, but he found it more difficult to get around because of his hip. He was quite surprised to find that the twins had made him something too; a crutch, rather than a cane, for his injury required much more support. He was unable to use two because of his broken collarbone, but everyone was relieved to see that he got along fine with just one.

A few days later, Thranduil told them something quite unexpected as they finished breakfast. "The new kitchen is finished."

"Already?" Legolas said.

The King nodded. "Would you like to see it?"

Nodding, both Legolas and Elrond rose and carefully made their way towards the door, with the twins following.

Thranduil led the way, walking at the pace of the other two elves. When they reached the door, he opened it and gestured to Elrond. "After you."

The Lord of Imladris smiled slightly, remembering Thranduil's jest to let him be the first one to step foot into the room. Obediently, he walked in, with Legolas behind him.

"It looks different!" said the Mirkwood Prince.

The twins followed them in, looking around.

"Aye," said Thranduil. "I had it done this way purposely. I did not want the sight of it to be a reminder of what occurred."

"I believe that I prefer it this way," said Elrond, noticing that it resembled the main kitchen of his own house.

Legolas limped towards a table and sat down. "Anyone hungry?"

Elrohir chuckled. "_You_ are, obviously."

Legolas smiled. "Indeed. Would you fetch a pastry for the invalid?"

The twins chuckled. "We shall do more than that, Your Highness!" said Elladan. He touched his father's arm. "Sit down, ada, we shall fetch you one too."

Thranduil crossed his arms, enjoying the fact that he could now do so, since his shoulder was nearly completely whole. "Do _I_ also have the privilege of receiving one?" he jested.

Elrohir looked at Elladan, an unsure expression on his face. "What do you think? Should we let him have one too?"

Legolas chuckled.

The King gave a mock-hrumph.

The twins echoed the laugh, fetching enough pastries for everyone.

Anyone who soon passed the door of the new kitchen had the pleasure of hearing laughter drift through it, as echoes of the tragic event fell into the distant past.

THE END

Oh my gosh, is it really finished? Yay! ;) I hope that the ending wasn't rushed. Anyway, I don't have a new story ready to post yet! (gasp) So sorry! But I do have a snippet that I'll post this coming week. A lot of people have asked about the events surrounding Legolas' birth, (as I'm always saying that he was born too early and Elrond saved his life, etc) so I wrote a snippet that will answer all questions! Stay tuned, and as always, thanks so much for being my faithful readers! ;)


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